My Austin 2013-2014 Season Wish List: The Musicals

As 2012 comes to a close, many Austin theater companies are putting together their 2013-2014 season. Given the incredible talent in this town and the large number of daring, courageous theater groups in the Austin area, here are my picks for 13 musicals that I'd love to see produced in the 2013-2014 season.

Austin has its fair share of funny girls (Jill Blackwood, Michelle Cheney, Evelyn LaLonde), so FUNNY GIRL seems like a no-brainer for the Austin theater scene. Sure, this show may be a bit old and dated. It's one of those star vehicle dinosaurs from the 60s, but it's one of the best and most lovable of its kind. Given the hysterical book and the incredible score, featuring hits like "I'm the Greatest Star," and "People," it's hard to rain on this show's parade.

Austin theater companies tend to do well with social and political satire, and the musicalized version of the 1936 cult classic film of the same name is satire at its hysterical best. Is there anything sillier than an opening number featuring stoned zombies or a deus ex machina moment in which Jesus himself tells our hero about the disastrous effects of pot-smoking?

Sure, the movie's now a cult classic, but nothing beats the intimacy of the original stage show. Done as a one-man show backed by an on-stage rock band, HEDWIG is equally riotous and moving. And don't you think that a transsexual like Hedwig would find a surprisingly welcoming home in Austin, Texas?

This one, like FUNNY GIRL, is another star-vehicle dinosaur from the 1960s. While any fan of musical theater probably knows the show or the score, it's blasphemous that according to my research, the show hasn't been seen in Texas since 1991. That means an entire generation of Texas have been exposed to the show only through the awful film version. That just won't do.

I first saw this quirky, little-known show, about 10 years ago at a regional theater in California. Written by the same team behind I LOVE YOU, YOU'RE PERFECT, NOW CHANGE, it is a crowd-pleasing hoot about what men will do to preserve their pride in affairs of the heart. Another small-cast show which allows the ensemble to showcase their comedic chops, this one is perfect for Austin and, to my knowledge, has never been produced here.

My reasons for endorsing an Austin production of this show, which won Tonys for Best Musical and Best Score over DREAMGIRLS, is simple: It features an almost entirely female cast, and the actresses in Austin are downright incredible. Getting them together in one show would be amazing, and once again to my knowledge, this show has never been produced in Austin.

While it may have flopped on Broadway (it ran for just 91 performances), SIDE SHOW is an interesting and unique piece of theater. Based on the true story of conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton, this show boasts a beautiful score courtesy of the composer behind DREAMGIRLS and fun, campy circus motifs. Several Austin theater companies could easily polish up this forgotten gem.

Based on the 1957 film of the same name, SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS may not be the late Marvin Hamlisch's most famous show, but it's certainly his darkest, and Austin audiences love dark pieces of theater. It would be fun to see Austin produce this moody, film noir-esque roller coaster ride about corruption and the power of the press.

Yes, the title is not what you'd expect from a musical, and the fratboy humor is exactly what you'd expect from a show titled "ME AND MY DICK," but within all that crassness is a story with heart and charm. It also boasts a great score co-written by GLEE's Darren Criss and is the 1st student produced musical to place on the Billboard 200 Charts.

True, the musical adaptation of Stephen King's debut novel was a notorious flop on Broadway, but the recently Revisal version that debuted Off-Broadway this year is a vast improvement. The show allows for some tour-de-force performances, especially for Carrie and her mother, and a show about bullying seems timely. Couple that with the fact that the famous film version gets a remake in 2013 and it seems like the perfect time for a musical about this telekinetic teen.

Though it may be the least known of Sondheim's works and is the only musical to win the Tony Award for Best Musical after closing, PASSION has one of Sondheim's most interesting scores. It also includes one of the most compelling love triangles in any musical and (wait for it...) full frontal nudity. Aren't there a few Austin actors you'd like to see in the buff?

It's only a matter of time until Austin sees a production of this musical about two of Texas's most infamous historical figures. I sincerely hope we get a production of this sooner rather than later. While it didn't do well on Broadway, the show was praised by audiences and includes what is hands down Frank Wildhorn's best score.